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CLEARWATER, Fla. – It wasn’t the real thing. But it was a start. And for a widely derided Astros team featuring a new manager, uniforms and league, Bo Porter gladly accepted his new club’s first spring training win of 2013.

Led by second baseman Marwin Gonzalez’s 2-for-3 outing and racking up 14 total hits, the Astros downed the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 Saturday in a Grapefruit League opener at Bright House Stadium.

“It always feels good when you play well. More importantly, we played clean baseball,” Porter said. “There was no errors. We swung the bat well. Our situational hitting was good. Defensively, we made the plays that we were supposed to make. When you do those things right, it gives you the best chance to win ballgames.”

Astros right-handed starter Lucas Harrell struggled with his command early, allowing two earned runs and four hits in two innings. But the Astros (1-0) benefited from the quick departure of Phillies starting left-hander Cole Hamels (2 IP, O ER, 1 H, 1 K) and turned a 2-0 third-inning deficit into a 5-2 lead after the top of the fifth.

“I always tend to be a slow starter,” Harrell said. “So hopefully this will be one of those things to where I got that one out of the way and then come out and be ready.”

Outfielder Brandon Barnes smacked a solo home run to left-center field in the seventh, while prospect Nate Freiman went 1 for 3 with a run scored.